The missing lands
by loz1
Summary: About the deep dark place beyond the sofa


The missing Lands.  
  
People are forever losing things down the back of their sofas. Old socks, loose change, remote controls. Whatever next.  
  
There once was a student. An extremely poor student, as most are nowadays. His name was Tim, one day he decided to buy a new sofa. This might sound like an ordinary story to you and me, but it was the beginning of an adventure for him.  
  
His old brown sofa slumped in the middle of the room. Tim was scared to even sit on it in fear it would collapse. He had had it for countless years. He got his savings and set off down the road to a furniture shop. Luckily he arrived at a very cheap shop. Once inside an old man with wiry white hair came up to him. Tim didn't have a very big budget. The man asked what sort of sofa Tim wanted.  
  
"A cheap one" Tim replied.  
  
"Well, well, well" chuckled the kind old man.  
  
"I don't have much money you see"  
  
"Well I have just the thing for you. Someone brought it back the other day. Said they kept losing things in it. Come out the back and I'll show you." Said the old man as he wandered to the back room.  
  
Tim followed him. The back room was dreary, dark and had eerie cobwebs everywhere. It was a very old shop thought Tim.  
  
"Here we are" Said the old man with his arms out stretched. Behind him was a red sofa with a clear plastic dust cover over it. Although it was dirty, dusty and old-looking Tim could see this was all he could afford. "It's..great, perfect even" Tim said. "How much?" "Now I must tell you, you can never return this to me. Even if anything goes wrong" The old man whispered. What could possibly go wrong it was only a sofa Tim thought. "So, how much?" "It's absolutely free," The old man said in a soft suspicious voice. Tim couldn't believe it but was too happy to care so he agreed. "Good luck Tim" The old man said to himself as Tim left.  
  
The red sofa seemed to brighten up his living room. And it went so well that it was like the sofa had been waiting for him. As Tim sat down for the first time on his brand new sofa a strange sensation came over him. It felt as though he was being sucked into the sofa. Before Tim could get up he disappeared into the sofa. The sofa had swallowed him. This is when his adventure began. Tim swirled and turned round and round until he hit the ground with a thud. Tim looked up and couldn't believe it. He had travelled to another world. He thought he must be dreaming or something.  
  
Tim pinched himself but it wasn't a dream. He looked up to see the sky was like a dome roof. It was blue with grey clouds that never moved or changed. It was like they were painted on. The floor was purple tarmac. Tim was amazed but excited. He looked up to see a grey sign. In red letters it said "Welcome to the missing lands". Tim was very confused. It was very quiet and looked a bit like a scene out of Return to Oz. He was just waiting for Dorothy to skip by with Toto trailing behind. All of a sudden there was screaming and then a loud thud. A girl landed on the floor behind him. Tim picked her up and asked her how she got there. "Well, my mum asked me to clean up under my bed when the floor opened up and took me here. How did you get here?" The little girl asked "It was through the sofa actually." Tim said sounding peculiar. "What's your name?" he asked. "Sophia" she replied  
  
The face of the wizard looked familiar, like déjà vu. From the tiny little smirk to the wiry white hair.  
  
"Everyone is given a chance to retrieve their lost items, that is what the missing lands are for. We take people from all over, telephone boxes, beds, and aeroplane toilets and sometimes, even sofas. We think everyone should have this chance. We know people will never tell of the lands because their story is so unbelievable. Some have described their trip's here as being abducted by aliens and they make up all sorts of stories about it. Some people we invite here never want to return home, some people have lived and worked here for years. They are reported missing as almost everyone who comes here is but the difference is they never turn up, they are always here in the missing lands. Some live here for years before thinking of their old lives. You do realise we can't allow them back after such a long time. But occasionally we let a few slip through the net. We stage a hospital in the land of reality where they are revived from a coma and everyone goes along with it." After the strange little group had finished Tim realised that it wasn't that hard to believe. Everything was covered up. It was amazing how the missing lands had gone undetected for all this time.  
  
Tim was relieved to be back safe and sound. He didn't care about what the old man had said he was going to go back and get a refund. It was the least he could do so no one else will be in danger. So Tim went on his way back to the shop. He was just walking along staring at the ground, watching his feet, amazed that the floor wasn't purple. Then he looked up to find the shop was no longer there. In its place was a mobile phone store. He went inside to ask and the manager said the furniture store had closed down three weeks ago. Tim was shocked. Where was the old man? He thought. Then he turned around ready to return home when he bumped into him. "Hello Tim" said the old man. Then with a meagre smirk continued "Did you enjoy your little adventure?". 


End file.
